Packers vs. Chiefs Point Spread: NFL Predictions, Week 8 Odds
What was to be one of the marquee matchups of the 2019 regular season this Sunday night with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers visiting Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs has been vastly downgraded with a Mahomes injury.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Being honest, the Thursday night (Redskins-Vikings) and Monday night (Dolphins-Steelers) matchups this week are borderline unwatchable because Washington and Miami are so lousy. However, this Sunday night’s game was set to make up for it in a potential Super Bowl preview between the Packers and Chiefs.
It still could be a Super Bowl preview in theory, but a lot of the luster has worn off with the knee injury suffered by Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes last Thursday that will sideline him at least a couple of games.
This was to feature former NFL MVP-winning quarterbacks in Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (2011 & ’14) and Mahomes (last year) facing off for the first time. Mahomes seems all but a lock to win at least one more since his career is just getting started. Because these franchises are in opposite conferences, it also may have been the only time that Mahomes and Rodgers were to meet barring a Super Bowl matchup because they won’t be scheduled to play in the regular season for another four years and the soon-to-be 36-year-old Rodgers might be retired by then. Sadly, now they may never do so with Mahomes out.
The first-ever Super Bowl saw the NFL’s Packers beat the AFL’s Chiefs 35-10. The teams have split the past four meetings, last in 2015 when the Packers were 38-28 home winners – Mahomes was at Texas Tech then and Alex Smith was Kansas City’s quarterback. Rodgers threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns.
The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-1 in those five.
Green Bay Packers
With all due respect to unbeaten San Francisco, the Packers might be the class of the NFC with their 6-1 record. The offence is starting to really click under first-year head coach Matt LaFleur. Rodgers had arguably the game of his Hall of Fame career in Sunday’s 42-24 win over Oakland. He threw for 429 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another score. Rodgers had the first perfect QB rating of his career even though No. 1 receiver Davante Adams missed a third straight game with turf toe. It was the first time Rodgers had five TD throws since that Chiefs game referenced above. Rodgers was the first player overall with five TD passes and a rushing score since 1991. The Packers are 5-2-1 ATS in their past eight following a win by more than 14 points.
Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes was injured on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 close to the Denver goal line with about nine minutes left in the second quarter of Kansas City’s 30-6 victory last Thursday. It was apparent right away that something was seriously wrong and it was learned that Mahomes had dislocated his right kneecap. “His knee didn’t even look like a knee. It was all out of whack. I couldn’t even describe it,” Pro Bowl Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. While the Kansas City medical staff quickly massaged the knee back into place, Mahomes is still going to miss at least those couple of games but it’s good news overall. So, it’s journeyman Matt Moore taking over. The 35-year-old didn’t play in the NFL last year and only signed this pre-season when projected Chiefs No. 2 Chad Henne broke his ankle. In a very conservative game plan, Moore was 10-for-19 for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Broncos. To say that high-powered Chiefs offence will look a little different now is a massive understatement. Kansas City is 3-7 ATS in its past 10 at home.
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